Twisted Future
by Music Fantasi
Summary: How would the Winter War ended if Ichigo had not been involved? No one had ever questioned it until one day, in an attempt to capture a rogue shinigami that had infiltrated the Soul Society, Toshiro has to face the future that would have followed. Can he overcome his weaknesses and finally save those he cares for? Will he save his friend? This time, everything is depending on him.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters.**

_Here's another story that has been crowding my brain. I'm actually really fond of this one and I hope you all enjoy it! _

Silence.

That was all that could be heard as a lone figure walked briskly through the dense forest, his robes melting into the black of the forest. The darkness brushed over him as the light of the fading moon failed to penetrate the thick leaves. Nothing stirred in these woods; no owls hooted, no squirrels scurried about, nothing moved, nothing breathed. Except this one man who carried on, his destination and purpose known to him alone as he moved, unhindered and unconcerned about his eerie surroundings.

After some time, an outcropping of rock forcefully presented itself, the dark stone glinting in the almost dangerously. The man continued on, striding without hesitation into the black nothingness passed the mouth of the cave. Several moments later, faint, flickering light danced across the rough stone walls, shadows dancing eerily against the shining surface. Once the man got close to the light-candles laid about the edge of the rather large open area-he ceased walking and simply stood, waiting for only he knew what.

It only took a few minutes, but finally another figure walked into the room. He was an older man, his face wrinkled and hair grey. The two figures stared at each other for a moment, before the one that entered at last broke the tense silence. " You will do it then?"

" Yes. I was commanded to wait two years, time which has now passed. All that is left is to get the exact orders from him." The man's deep voice rumbled through the cave, determination burning in his hidden ruby eyes.

Silently, the older man walked towards the younger, putting a hand on his shoulder. " You do not have to do this. There is no one here to punish you for disobeying. Our master fell; there is nothing we can do any longer."

" This is not for him. This is for us. The Seireitei must pay for what they did to our family."

The old man quieted, looking into the younger's eyes. He sighed, " I see that you cannot be swayed from your decision."

" Will you assist me?"

" No." He old man let his hand fall as he closed his eyes and bowed his head. " I will neither help nor hinder you. This boy you are going after, he has done much good for all, not just the Seireitei. Remember this."

" I have made up my mind." The younger said, turning on his heel and walking back into the darkness. The old man watched him sadly, dread filling him at the thought of what was going to unfold. He knew, ever since that faithful day, the boy had been corrupted by hatred and a thirst for vengeance. Such emotions were not meant to be felt by one with a power such as his.

The old man slid to his knees as tears flowed down his cheeks. What had he just allowed to happen? He didn't know, but he sobbed in fear and sadness, begging for forgiveness.

It was unusually calm in the Seireitei. No recent hollow activity was reported, at least none that wasn't easily handled. There was no commotion amongst the different squads. Nor was there anywhere near the normal amount of paperwork to be done. A fact which the Captain of the Tenth division couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief over. He was utterly exhausted from spending so many late nights on paper work and having to fight and work with only a few hours of sleep a week. A feat which he had just pulled once again seeing as he had not slept in two days. It was simply wearing the young captain out.

This is the reason why the prodigy, and normal busy body, Captain was taking a rare yet well deserved, in his mind at least, break as he laid on the couch residing in his office with his eyes closed. A rare sense of peace engulfed him at the lack of commotion and urgency. Sure there was still paper work and training, but it could wait a hour or two. Most of it was done and the rest wasn't due for a few more days. A blissful sigh escaped his lips as he snuggled down into the couch, fully intent on taking a long nap.

That was, until a hesitant knock sounded through the silence of his office. He jumped slightly at the sudden noise before rushing to his desk and smoothing out his robes. " Come in." He said, his voice full of cold authority. One of the lower ranked shinigami of his squad walked in. He kept his eyes downcast or upon the forms he was carrying. " What are those?"

" Oh! Um they're for you to sign, Sir, from Twelve. Also, Lieutenant Kuchiki stopped by to inform you that there was a Captain's meeting in twenty minutes."

" Why did Kuchiki inform you of this?"

" She said it was because she knew Lieutenant Matsmoto would not be here to inform you due to Lieutenant Abarai's absence, Captain." At this, Toshiro scowled.

" Very well." He commented as the shinigami placed the forms down carefully on his desk. When the door slid shut the boy allowed himself to sink down in his chair with a sigh. He had really been looking forward to sleeping. Begrudgingly he reached for his pen before a yawn overtook him.

The door slid open roughly, Toshiro sending a half hearted glare to whoever was disturbing him now, and was only slightly surprised to see his lieutenant. " Captain! I'm sorry I'm so late!"

" Matsumoto, it's two o'clock. You're supposed to be here by eight. What could have possible made you this late besides a bar?" Toshiro asked dryly, sitting up in his chair and snatching one of the thick forms he had to read and sign. Of course it had to be Kurotshuchi to ruin his day.

" I actually have a good reason this time, though! You see I was-"

" I honestly don't care right now. I have a Captain's meeting to attend, a fact that Lieutenant Kuchiki had to stop by to inform me of because a certain lieutenant of mine was missing." He snapped.

" That's awful cold Captain." She pouted.

" How am I supposed to run the squad when my second in command acts like she has no responsibility and is always disappearing, never showing up, never doing her work, and always drinking?"

" You do a great job, Captain! Without you our squad would be a mess!" She tried to cheer him up, giving him one of her biggest grins.

" You simply don't understand." He sighed with a shake of his head, brushing passed her and shunpoing away. He hated the fact that everyone in the Soul Society knew of how lazy and unprofessional Rangiku acted. How could he run a whole squad if he couldn't control his lieutenant, the one that is supposed to be the responsible one under him? In the minds of the other Captains, he couldn't. But of course, he was a child after all. He knew that's what they thought and is why he strived to disprove them and Rangiku simply was not helping in any way.

The blonde woman stood silently, gazing at the closed door her Captain had walked out of. She didn't show it, but she knew what he meant. She knew how he felt. Guilt stabbed painfully at her heart as she gazed at the stacks of work. A large amount was finished, piled neatly beside Toshiro's desk. She knew a good sized portion of that was supposed to be hers. There had been dark circles under the boy's eyes again, something that did not go unnoticed by the busty lieutenant.

It was due to this that when the squad ten Captain returned nearly a hour later, she was seated at her desk diligently working on the last few forms of work, both hers and Toshiro's. The white haired teen stood in the door way, staring in surprise. It took several moments, but when the woman's blue-grey eyes rose after the last, swift stroke of her pen, she smiled happily. " Hello, Captain!" She said cheerfully, proud at the surprise on his face.

" What are you doing?" He asked skeptically.

"Paperwork, of course. What does it look like?" She shrugged with a smile, lifting her arms above her head as she stretched he stiff back and shoulders. " I noticed you looked tired, Captain, so I decided to help out."

A rare smile graced his lips, his expression openly grateful for a moment before seriousness regained dominance. " Thank you, Matsumoto, but we have an assignment. There is a rogue loose and we must track him down." She schooled her expression, sadly letting go of any hope of getting off early because all the work was done. A flare in reiatsu momentarily grabbed her attention and she heard Toshiro groan softly. " Of course Kurosaki chooses now to appear…" He mumbled, feeling the substitute Shinigami headed his way.

" Why's he coming here?" Rangiku knew that her captain and the strawberry were good friends, but normally he would always go to see Rukia or Renji first and stop by their barracks sometime afterward. It was odd for Ichigo to head straight for them.

" Lieutenant Kuchiki was assigned to this case as well."

" Is this intruder really that powerful?" A captain and two lieutenants was a little much for a simple rogue in her mind.

" His power is unknown but all that have come across him have fallen. The Head Captain wants to take no chances." Toshiro had been a bit amazed too when there was no hesitation to send such a powerful group after the rogue that had infiltrated the Seireitei. He had expected to be told to send someone from his squad to investigate since that's what his squad did but that had not been the case.

" Yo Toshiro." Ichigo said casually as he entered, Rukia looking annoyed as she followed him in.

" Hello, Captain Hitsugaya." She said formally, glaring at Ichigo who didn't seem to notice.

" So what's this about a rogue or something?"

" Since you're here I suppose there will be no getting rid of you will there?" He asked, already knowing the answer without Ichigo's affirmative "nope." Toshiro couldn't repress his sigh and closed his eyes for a moment, willing his frustration to lessen. After a moment he began to explain, ignoring the odd look he received from Rangiku and Ichigo for his sudden impatience. " Two days ago, a man dressed as a Shinigami infiltrated the Seireitei. Since then, three members of squad seven and two from squad six have been wounded and one from squad eleven killed."

" Were they ranked officers?" Rukia asked, moving to join Rangiku where she had moved to the couch.

Toshiro flipped through the folder in his hand that held all the case information gathered so far, moving over to his desk that was for once clear of paperwork. He had yet to read it but had been briefed about the situation itself. " Only the squad eleven member; she was ranked seventh. Very little has been gathered on the rogue except that it is a male and he has dark hair. One of the victims also reported that his eyes were red but that has yet to be confirmed by others." He reported, flipping a page in the report. He was vaguely aware of Ichigo standing over him trying to read also. " Motive is unknown… target unknown… goal unknown…" he muttered, ignoring everything as he skimmed over the information, rapidly absorbing it, obtaining all the necessary information off a page before Ichigo got to read the second paragraph.

" Then how are we supposed to find him?" The orange haired shinigami asked, giving up on trying to keep up with the insane pace Toshiro was reading at.

" The Stealth Force say they believe him to be hiding in the underground sewer system."

" I know that place." Ichigo commented, receiving a confused look from the small captain. " Hanaturo hid me there when I first came here after I fought Renji." He explained, Toshiro nodding in response. " So when do we head out? I'm ready when you guys are."

" We will begin tomorrow."

" What? Why wait?" Ichigo complained.

" Yeah, Captain, why don't we just get it over with?" Rangiku asked curiously.

" Before we go charging after some unknown enemy I want to gather more information."

" How are we going to do that?"

" Interviewing the victims?" Rukia asked, receiving a nod.

" You two will need to come. This rogue may have left traces of his reiatsu on his victims during their fights. If we can manage to sense it, we may be able to sense where he is instead of running blindly around the mazes underground."

" Sounds like a plan, Captain!" Rangiku jumped up, cheerfully moving over to the teen. She figured that once this was over he would retire to think of a strategy, probably over a steaming cup of tea somewhere quiet, and she'd be free to spend the rest of the evening drinking away at a bar.

With that, the small group left for Squad Four, Ichigo coming along even though his ability to sense reiatsu and track it was nothing sort of pitiful. It took nearly two hours, but a sample of the mysterious rogue's reiatsu was found lingering on the body of the slain member of squad eleven. Toshiro, Rangiku, and Rukia focused on it, committing it to their memory. With the agreement to meet outside Toshiro's barracks at ten the next morning, which was sternly said to Rangiku, they all parted ways; Rangiku to drink the night away, Ichigo and Rukia to go pester Renji, and Toshiro to spend it alone thinking and planning.

However, even the most farfetched plans for the unexpected that crossed the young Captain's mind could not prepare him for what was about to unfold.

**Please review if you enjoyed, I love hearing all of your opinions and comments!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I do not own bleach or any of it characters, locations, etc.

" What is it?" He called, still in his uniform due to his having fallen asleep unexpectedly at his desk while he read over the case file again, searching for anything that may have been overlooked.

" He's attacked again. Ichigo Kurosaki and Lieutenant Kuchiki are currently in pursuit, Lieutenant Matsumoto is heading here." The voice called again, not opening the door. He recognized it as his fourth seat but did not tell him to enter. Instead, the small captain hurriedly made his way to the door, yanking it open and darting down the hall. He used shunpo to get outside quickly, locating the two in pursuit as well as Rangiku. Without waiting for her, he sped off towards Ichigo and Rukia, confident that his lieutenant could catch up.

Toshiro frowned as he neared the two Shinigami, meeting with them after only a few moments. He expected the rogue to be in the Seireitei, but his actual location was stupidly bold. They were currently half way to his own squad, their reiatsu trail telling him that they had come from where Central 46 was located. He was baffled by this but forced his questions to the back of his mind. There was no time to dwell on the strange, idiotic behavior of an intruder.

Ichigo and Rukia were using shunpo to keep up with the rogue but were being out sped. Ichigo knew he could catch up with his Bankai but refrained, wanting to wait for Toshiro. Normally he wouldn't care for plans and strategies, but he'd happened to stop by the small Captain's office a few hours prior. Seeing Toshiro, papers and reports spread in front of him and under his arms, sound asleep half laying over his desk, was enough to make him realize just how much thought the Squad Ten Captain was putting into this. He didn't want to make everything he was doing for nothing.

After only a few more moments, said captain appeared beside them, slightly startling Ichigo. " Did you engage him or did he flee on sight?" He asked as soon as he made it to them.

" He ran as soon as he saw us." Ichigo grumbled in irritation.

" We found him sneaking around Central 46 and it looked like he had been talking to himself."

" With luck we will be able to capture him and the stealth force will interrogate him for answers. His behavior has been rather spontaneous." Attacking squad members, killing a Shinigami, and loitering around the central of the Seireitei afterwards was simply idiotic and the young captain could not determine a motive for such odd behavior.

The sun began to peak over the horizon as the group and their target neared the woods passed the barracks of squad seven. _' Is he planning on losing us in the forest?'_ the prodigy thought to himself, attempting to make sense of the rogue's motives.

" Captain!" Rangiku's voice sounded as she caught up, breathing slightly labored. " I finally caught up." She panted.

Toshiro decided to remain silent while Rukia caught her up. His attention was captured by the slight fluctuations in their target's reiatsu. It seemed to quiver and slowly build in strength. Fearing he was preparing to attack them, he let out a burst of speed, covering the space between all of them in a single shunpo but draining some of his own reiatsu. In a flash he had Hyōrinmaru in his grasp and the blade clashed with that of the rogue's as the trailing trio caught up.

As the sharp sound of metal colliding with metal echoed through the calm, still sleeping forest there was a brilliant, blinding flash of light that made everyone shield their eyes. It was as if suddenly daylight had burst to life directly in front of them, searing into their eyes. When they managed to looked up, Toshiro and the rogue had disappeared, all traces of their reiatsu vanished as well. The area where they had been looked untouched, dark once again.

" Captain!"

" Captain Hitsugaya!"

" Toshiro!"

Three voices sounded at the same time; concern, confusion, and worry lacing the mingling voices.

It felt like the world was spinning, turning him in every direction at once as it felt like the ground fell out from under his feet. He felt sick and dizzy, his head spinning as he desperately tried to get his bearings when suddenly everything came to an abrupt halt. The world slammed back down onto him, forcing him to his knees, his stomach twisting painfully and threatening to make him vomit. He gripped his head tightly in his hands, fearing it would burst from the pain that suddenly flared in it.

It took several minutes, but the young captain finally managed to regain his bearings, pain edging off more slowly. He glanced around him, looking and searching for the rogue with his eyes and reiatsu but finding no sign of him. He was, however, startled to discover he was by a large housing complex, living souls bustling past him where he still kneeled by a bench. _'Did he teleport? And if so, how did he do it?'_ Unable to detect the rogue's reiatsu, Toshiro decided to figure out where exactly he was while he waited and continued searching.

Toshiro detected several familiar reiatsu, although something about them seemed off, something he couldn't determine but made him move forward carefully. They felt almost the same but underdeveloped and dormant. It was strange and had him slightly worried and very cautious. Using shunpo once more, he headed to where he felt the Kurosaki family. Sadness clung heavily to the quiet air, something completely out of place in the normally lively home. _'Something just feels wrong here…' _

" Hurry up, dad, we have to go find Ichigo!" a young girl's voice shouted.

" Coming Karin." The familiar sound of Issin Kurosaki's voice set Toshiro on edge. The cheerful and playful tone that had always been present in his former Captain's voice was gone. In its place was poorly disguised sadness and emptiness. " Ready girls?" He asked again, the front door opening and Toshiro quickly hiding from them.

Exiting the house was not what he expected. Issin strode out, his eyes looking worried but empty, like he had just suffered a great loss and was trying to hide it. Karin and Yuzu looked like they were maybe four, each girl holding onto their father's hands tightly. Yuzu looked openly worried, her expression scared and eyes wide as she bit her lip nervously. To Toshiro, Karin looked vulnerable and seemed to be thinly covering her own sadness and fear under a veil of unconcerned impatience.

The small family walked away down the road, Toshiro staring after them. His mind was reeling and trying desperately to make sense of what he had just seen. Where was he exactly? In the past? How was that even possible? Did it have to do with the rogue? That must be it, he concluded, but what he didn't know was how he did it. A thought suddenly struck him and panic tore through him, the feeling foreign and unpleasant. He quickly reached out with his senses, searching for Ichigo's reiatsu but unable to locate it.

" I see you did indeed follow me here. I congratulate you on being able to survive the journey." an eerily calm voice said from beside him.

Toshiro snapped his attention to the lanky male, his straight, black hair blowing slightly around his face and into his blood red eyes. No emotion showed itself in those eyes, the man's face equally devoid of any feeling. The white haired teen didn't bother asking where he was. " Why have you brought me to the past?"

" It was unintentional, but you must return with me. I cannot leave you here even if upon return you kill me." The slow building and twisting in his reiatsu that he had felt must have been him manipulating time to create a portal to the past for himself. Something like that must require a charge for time is a very delicate thing.

" What is your name? Why did you come here?" He asked instead, not moving, turquoise eyes narrowed dangerously. If he was so worried about him staying in the past to potentially change something, why would he himself come to the past unless it was to do exactly that? He hoped that it wasn't what he dreaded it to be as he continued searching for the orange haired reaper's spirit energy.

" I am Jikan and it does not matter why I come. I have already done what I came to do and there is nothing you can do to prevent it any longer." The rogue stated emotionlessly, his reiatsu continuing to build and twist.

Finally he located a trail, its presence weak and disappearing. Toshiro's eyes widened as he comprehended what that entailed. " You…" He couldn't get his words out, the gravity of the situation slamming into his mind as he rapidly began calculating what impact this would have as he also coped with the sudden pain of loss gripping him. " You killed him…When he was at his lowest, lost in sadness of losing his mother…I won't let you get away with this." The normally icy voice sounded absolutely frozen, as if the words themselves would solidify into ice as they fell from his lips with the dark promise of death.

" I already have." The rogue smirked but it quickly turned into a grimace as he just barely blocked the sword aimed at his head. The white haired captain's icy glare promised pain, revenge, radiated with frozen fury, but was otherwise empty, everything else shoved aside. Loss, pain, remorse were all transformed into rage and directed solely at the one responsible. He'd kill him, even if it was the last thing he ever did.

The man's reiatsu suddenly flared, engulfing them both in bright light as the world once again seemed to fall away. The strength being put into the blade lessened as Toshiro struggled to keep his bearings in the spinning, free falling rift they were traveling through. Reality and time slammed forcefully back into both of them, but it had much less of an impact on the small reaper compared to only a short while ago. He was rendered unable to move the way he wanted for several moments, allowing the rogue to escape, much to his displeasure.

Toshiro stood, body frozen and unmoving, head down turned, and Hyōrinmaru gripped tightly in his right hand. Ice and frost crept out along the ground at his feet, snaking over the grass and freezing everything it came into contact with as Toshiro's spirit energy spiked in his turmoil. In a very uncharacteristic display of emotion, he dropped to his knees and punched the ground, " Damn it!" He shouted, the ground crumbling with the strength of his blow, spikes of ice erupting all around him as his reiatsu once again spiked out of control.

" Why is it that I fail everyone I care for? Everyone I allow myself to think of as a friend? I'm never able to save them!" He said out loud, cursing his weakness and inability to ever save what truly matters. What was the point of being a captain, of training himself half to death, of fighting and being strong, if it was never enough when it truly counted?

' _Master, you must calm yourself.' _Hyōrinmaru rumbled soothingly at the back of his mind.

"_How can i-" _He began but the dragon cut him off.

' _You haven't the time to grieve. You must find out what has happened to this time. There may still be a way to set things right.'_

"_What do you mean?"_

' _Think. You are not labeled a prodigy for nothing. Such moments as these are unbecoming of you.' _

Toshiro remained silent, looking around him and mentally commanding the ice to shatter as he contained his reiatsu and reigned in his emotions. Shame flooded him at having lost control the way he did. Even after all this time and training, he still allowed his emotions to get the better of him. He should know better by now, especially since he could have killed someone with that outburst.

" Jikan…" he breathed, slipping back into his analytic mind frame. " If I can find him again, perhaps I can force him to take me back before I kill him." The dragon rumbled in approval at the plan before fading from his consciousness. _" Thank you, Hyōrinmaru." _He said quietly to the retreating presence of the dragon, his mental voice small and sincere.

' _Of course Master.' _

**_The plot thickens. Anyhow, hope you enjoyed this latest chapter and will leave a review! They really help with motivation and I love hearing feed back. _**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: I do not own bleach or anything in it.

It didn't take long for Toshiro to figure out he was in the Soul Society, the walls of the Seireitei raising up to his left. Instead of heading towards the familiar sight, he decided to take a more cautious approach after his recklessness before when he first arrived. He crept through the village that lined the Seireitei's walls, slinking along in the shadows to remain unseen. The air was dark with oppression, something that definitely hadn't been present the last time he traveled into the border villages.

A slightly tattered, black cloak hanging outside what he supposed was some type of shop caught his eye. _'It would make hiding my presence easier. White hair isn't exactly stealthy.' _He thought to himself, using shunpo to take it without being seen. After putting some distance between himself and any one that may be watching, Toshiro took the scarf off of his neck and wrapped it around his forehead, using it to push his snowy locks away from his face before he pulled the cloak on.

Satisfied that his appearance was more hidden, the young captain reached out with his spirit energy, searching for anything familiar, looking specifically for the rogue. A dark, sinister energy invaded his senses, sending him reeling slightly at the power of it, eyes widening in surprise, before narrowing in hatred. "Aizen." He growled, the single word dripping with loathing and fury.

'_It must have been him, but how? He was locked away for more than a year before the rogue came. Had he foreseen his defeat? But then why wait so long and why make him come into the Seireitei before altering things? Was this some sort of backup plan to ensure his victory?' _He thought, eyes looking over the walls of the Seireitei. There was something he was missing. Could Jikan somehow found a way to infiltrate Aizen's prison and receive orders? That shouldn't be possible, but he didn't dismiss the theory. He hadn't thought time travel was possible either.

Something to his right moved, shooting towards him with great speed and forcing him to jump out of the way. He rolled and quickly regained his footing, unsheathing Hyōrinmaru and holding it in front of him in one smooth motion. His attacker paused, their body frozen and hardly breathing as they stared at him. He remained tense, unable to see their face or feel their reiatsu. He kept a tight lid on his, not willing to let the slightest wisp escape.

"Where did you get that blade?"A familiar voice asked him from the shadows of a dark red cloak. The voice, however, was too empty and heavy to be who he thought it was, but distinctly female. He didn't answer, instead remained in his stance, eyes locked onto his opponent's tense form. "It isn't yours and I'll make sure you pay for even touching it!" He blinked in surprise, anger rising at the very notion of someone claiming Hyōrinmaru belonged to someone else.

His attacker rushed forward, swinging their blade to kill, but he easily parried the blow. She attempted to sweep his feet out from under him, causing him to flip out of the way, landing lightly on his left hand and kicking her in the stomach. He used the momentum from his attack to propel his feet over his head and back to the ground in a quick flip. The woman stood clutching her stomach for only a moment, the force of the blow sending her stumbling back several steps before she regained her balance, gripped her sword tighter and rushed towards him.

They exchanged blows, gaining speed as they went, the sound of metal colliding with metal ringing sharply through the air. After a short time, Toshiro grew tired of the battle, deciding he really didn't have time to waste on this mystery woman regardless of her skill. He jumped away from her, lightly tapping the ground with the tip of his Zanpakutō before jumping back another few feet. The woman wasted no time in giving chase, but suddenly jerked to a stop as her right foot landed where Toshiro had tapped Hyōrinmaru. Ice shot up and trapped her foot, making her crash to the ground as ice rapidly grew up her leg and forced her to stay.

"There's no way…" She muttered to herself in disbelief.

"I apologize but I haven't the time to fight you. The ice will release in several minutes." He informed icily, sliding Hyōrinmaru back into its place on his back as he turned away, preparing to shunpo towards his destination in the Seireitei.

"C-Captain…" The woman's voice came out timidly as she climbed to her knees, the hood falling off to reveal short, wavy, strawberry blonde hair and watery grey eyes staring in disbelief at his cloaked back. He turned his head to glance at her, his face still shadowed by the dark hood. "Is it… really you…?" Her voice sounded so hopeful, almost pleading, as tears began falling down her cheeks.

He said nothing, body frozen in place as he looked at her, taking in her altered appearance. Her face was thinner, her skin paler and her body looked skinny and lanky even while being concealed by the cloak. A scar marred her left cheek and another ran across the bridge of her nose. He slowly, wordlessly reached up and pulled the hood off of his head, allowing his white hair to spill out despite the makeshift bandana. The ice around her foot disappeared.

"It is you!" She shouted, running forward and tackling him in a hug, a sob escaping her.

"R-Rangiku!" He shouted, completely taken by surprise by the sudden embrace. They crashed to the ground, her larger form landing heavily on him. She rambled on incomprehensibly as she crushed his smaller body to her, crying loudly and burying her face into his neck. After the shock subsided, he simply sighed, wrapping his arms around her tiny frame, running his fingers comfortingly through her hair. The action seemed to make her cry harder but he continued until she calmed, ignoring his confusion for the time being.

It took some time, but she finally calmed and loosened her grip on him, pulling away just enough to look into his turquoise eyes. "I'm sorry Captain, I just… I've missed you so much… a-and I know this is probably an illusion o-or a dream but I-I can't help it." She stuttered out, tears falling from her eyes again.

"This is neither, Rangiku." He stated simply, trying to sound as sincere as he could.

Her eyes widened, "B-but you… you're dead…" She whispered.

He froze, even stopped breathing as the weight of her words hit him. "What?"

"Almost a month ago. Aizen, he…. He betrayed us and executed everyone that opposed him. You fought, even killed Kaname, but…we had to retreat… Barely any of us made it out… but you went back and…" She trailed off, her eyes becoming distant, pain darkening the stormy grey pools still brimming with unshed tears.

"I see." Was his only reply and he moved both of them into a more comfortable, and sitting, position. So if Ichigo was never there to help them, Aizen would win and he would be dead. "Who else?"

"Only a few of the lieutenants escaped. Everyone else except unseated officers were executed." Her voice had gotten quiet and tight as she spoke. _'I knew none of us stood a chance, but this…' _He couldn't even finish the thought, no word could fit what he felt about what he had just be told. "How are you here Captain?"

He glanced up at her, holding her gaze for a few moments, before sighing and looking away. "I am… from another future, I suppose. A rogue shinigami appeared one day and during our fight he sent us back in time. He killed someone there that… that would mean the difference between Aizen's defeat and this."He spoke softly, not wanting to be overheard by anyone else that could be listening.

"There was someone more powerful than him?" She sounded like she couldn't even fathom the possibility.

"Yes and he was infinitely different from that man. He saved us more times than I can even think of. To him, friendship and his family were worth everything and he did whatever he could to ensure their safety."

"You sound like you really admired him."

"Hm? I suppose, in a way. He was a very good friend of mine and despite being a complete moron half the time, he was always there when it mattered. Saving everyone that needed him to." He said, his voice darkening slightly as the thought of how he was never able to do that invaded his mind.

Rangiku smiled at him, flinging her arms around his neck and crushing him in a hug once more. "Whether you're from this time or not, you're still my Captain." She whispered, burying her face into his neck like she had before.

He simply sat there for a moment before allowing himself to smile lightly and wrap his arms around her again, "Thank you, Rangiku." He replied just as softly, closing his eyes to enjoy the moment before he would have to battle once more. This fight would mean more than any before. It would be saving his future and everyone he knew from this awful fate. That was a task he would not fail at. No matter what, he would save them this time.

Toshiro walked quietly beside Rangiku, hood once again over his white locks and shadowing his brightly colored eyes. She also put her red hood back on as she led her captain through a maze of destroyed, decaying buildings to where she said she and several others had a hide out. He mulled over what she had told him as he followed unconsciously, not really paying attention to where they were going, but fully alert to what was around them.

According to her, Aizen's betrayal had taken everyone by surprise, a fact that Toshiro was well aware of. Rukia Kuchiki was sent to the World of the Living for a simple mission, her gigai embedded with the Hogyuku by Urahara, before she was recalled on the grounds of conspiracy. She was sentenced to execution with no trail or real evidence against her but was saved that day by Ukitake with that shield like object he remembered hearing about. However, Aizen was still able to get the Hogyuku from her, ultimately killing her anyway, along with the elderly Captain that had saved her and Renji before he left with Gin and Kaname to Hueco Mundo. Many events afterward were quite similar, but many missing a happy ending.

Most of the times that Ichigo had managed to save the day had all ended horrendously for them in this time. People that had survived and were fine in Toshiro's memory died here. By the time the Arrancar invaded, the shinigami had lost several of their higher level fighters and were in no shape to stop the horror that was Aizen and his army.

At first, several of them escaped, along with himself, Shunsui, Soi Fon, and Byakuya and several Lieutenants. They staged another attack, one with them as the offensive unit to take Aizen and those that had sided with him by surprise with their assault. Only Toshiro and Byakuya made it out and only barely with four remaining lieutenants. This news settled uneasily with him and made him weary of the battle that was to come. He hoped to avoid Aizen all together and only go after the rogue, but something told him that wasn't very likely.

"We're here." The woman suddenly said, gesturing to a rundown looking tavern situated at the edge of the town and at the base of a mountain. Toshiro simply nodded, signaling for her to continue on. "Going to remain silent the whole time?" He shook his head. "Until everyone is together and will listen?"She asked, trying to imagine what he was thinking. She smiled when he nodded, proving her guess correct. She knew him so well. "I'll try to get them together quickly." His only reply was another nod.

Entering into the tavern, Toshiro took the time to glance around. It wasn't in too bad of shape in his opinion; old chairs neatly lined clean, worn tables and the bar itself held a dull shine. Overall it seemed like an actual tavern even though it was completely empty save for them. Rangiku hummed quietly to herself in thought before leading him to a door on the opposite side of the room. It led to a hallway with only one more door at the end, but she lightly tapped a panel in the wall, pushing some of her spirit energy into her hand as she did and causing it to lean open like a door.

'_Clever.' _Was his only thought on the secret doorway before he followed her down a flight of stone stairs, glancing behind him as the door shut on its own, throwing them into darkness. "Some kidō spell keeps it dark in here. Not even a bonfire will add a speck of light. It's seventeen stairs, four steps forward, a left turn, then six steps until the next door." She whispered. He blinked in question for a moment, before smirking. In order to keep hidden they kept the place dark to disorient whoever finds them here. He stood silently, waiting for her to move, when a hand suddenly grabbed his. "Those are my steps though, I'm not sure what yours would be exactly… Sorry C-" She stopped herself short, knowing he didn't want that out yet in case anyone could hear them.

He sighed, slightly irritated about the jab at his height, but used his other hand to push her forward gently. She resumed walking, dragging him along after her by his left hand. She held onto it tightly, as if afraid she would lose him, and remembering her break down before, he tightened his grip on hers, thankful for the dark and his hood for hiding the red dusting his cheeks.

When they finally made it to the next room he released her hand. "Go ahead and sit down." She said gently, walking away down a hallway. Instead of doing as she said, he roamed around the room, curiously glancing at the ragged furniture and old painting lining the walls. He wondered if anything else held secrets, but cast the thought aside as he returned to turning over the day's events in his head, making sure to keep a tight control over his reiatsu and emotions as he did so.

It took several minutes but finally the blonde returned, three people trailing behind her. Shuhei, Nemu, and Nanao looked at him with blank stares. While Nemu seemed just as he remembered, the other two seemed outright hostile. "What's the meaning of this, Rangiku?" Nanao snapped, glaring at said woman.

"Just listen to what he has to say."

"I am not interested. For all we know you have just exposed us to that Traitor." She hissed, Shuhei nodding silently with her. Nemu, however, looked at him curiously, taking several steps toward him. "Nemu! What are you doing?"

"Can you not see it?" She asked quietly in her subdued manner.

"See what?"

"Hyōrinmaru." She pointed to the four pointed star that made his blade's guard.

The other two snapped their gaze to the sword, eyes widening in shock. Toshiro removed his hood, casting his cold gaze upon the four remaining shinigami. "C-Captain Hitsugaya?" Shuhei stuttered out, looking bewildered and confused.

"How can this be? We saw you die…." Nanao spoke, her voice suddenly very low.

"I come from another future. One in which Aizen was defeated. However a rogue shinigami by the name of Jikan appeared and accidently brought me back in time with him. While there he killed the one person capable of defeating Aizen before I knew what his goal was. I am here to find him and make him take me back so that I can fix this." He hoped they could handle the news well. If someone ever told him that before all of this he would have had them admitted into squad four. There wasn't a point in beating around the bush, though, time wasn't on their side.

"This isn't possible." The glasses wearing woman muttered, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

"I know what you mean. I couldn't believe it at first either."Rangiku stated, walking back over towards her captain.

"You have to just be another illusion." Nanao whispered more to herself than anyone else as she tried to rationalize what she was seeing.

"That is not possible for Aizen's Zanpakutō is gone. It rejected him." Nemu responded.

"How can we help?" Shuhei asked, laying a comforting hand on Nanao's tense shoulder.

"I have to go into the Seireitei to find the one that can take me back." He stated. "I understand if you do not wish to help me in this. I could fail for I know I cannot defeat Aizen myself." His hand unconsciously moved to grip his left shoulder, making Rangiku look at him in question. The scar that was carved into his flesh burned slightly, reminding him of how easily he was cut down in his blind charge. Aizen knew what it took to break him down and he wouldn't hesitate to shatter him once more.

"I'm going with you Captain." Rangiku announced without a moment's hesitation.

"I will accompany you as well, Captain Hitsugaya." Nemu said, lifting a hand to her chest and giving a slight bow.

"I'm in." Shuhei nodded.

Nanao remained silent but nodded, their cooperation surprising him slightly although he didn't let it show. He half wanted to scold them for their immediate trust in him, but decided against it seeing as they were doing what he had come to ask them to do. Nemu stepped forward again, drawing a folded, worn piece of paper from her robes and handing it to him. "The Captain Hitsugaya from this time wrote this. We have not been able to break the code on it as of yet. Perhaps you will have luck seeing as you're the same person." She said, her voice holding a small, almost unnoticeable amount of hope. Toshiro took the paper with a nod, opening it to reveal a random assortment of letters and words. At the top, almost perfectly in the center, five actual words were written.

'_one, four, two, X, five… what does that mean? This seems like meaningless let-no, I see, it's a code.' _He narrowed his eyes as he read through it, counting off the mixed letters in sets of five, taking the first in the sequence, then the fourth, second, skipping the third, and finally the fifth. Even doing so, however, still created a jumbled mess of letters not forming anything. He continued staring at it, thinking over the letters, trying to think of an arrangement that would make sense. "Clan over time outer west forest."He said finally, breaking the silence that had fallen for several minutes as they waited with baited breath to see if he would understand it.

"What?" Rangiku asked, confused, the other three gazing at him curiously.

"That is what the code indicates. As for its meaning I do not know." He handed the paper back to Nemu, looking to her in question.

"I recall my Captain once saying there had been a clan residing there. However they were deemed a threat and eliminated several years ago." She reported faithfully.

"I see. Surely I would not have overlooked that which means someone of that clan still remains." He muttered. "Do you know where exactly I got this information or was planning to check?" Had he planned on using one of these time controllers to turn back time and try again? Just like he was doing now?

"You had left without letting any of us know where you were going, you and Captain Kuchiki both." Rangiku started, her eyes downcast. "When you finally came back you could barely walk and had lost too much blood… You said that you'd figured out how to win and that Captain Kuchiki had died so you could get back before you passed out. We didn't get it at first but I found this on you. When you finally woke back up, you didn't say anything else about it. You were…dying… Your injuries too great and having gone too long without being treated…" She closed her eyes, clenching her fist tightly.

"You sacrificed your life to get us the information we needed to defeat Aizen, but we couldn't figure out what it said…" Shuhei muttered, looking away from him as well.

"Do not worry about it. Now you know and we will put this sacrifice to good use. Your captain did not die in vain." Toshiro stated firmly, deciding not to comment on how they kept referring to the other captain as him. He hadn't died and had not lived as they had.

"Yes. However, what does it mean 'clan over time?'" Nanao asked.

"_Perhaps Jikan is from this clan."_Hyōrinmaru informed him

'_It would explain how he had that power. But if anyone knew about it, why didn't the Captains?'_Toshiro commented. He glanced at the letters again.

'_Now the question is who the other you got this information from.' _Toshiro hummed quietly in agreement.

"The rogue who I spoke of must be from this clan. It is the only true explanation for his powers. Tomorrow we will head into the Seireitei to look for Jikan. If we are unable to locate him we will search for this clan to see if there is any other that may be able to assist us. Either way, we must avoid conflict we cannot win. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." The four others replied, determination to not fail in their mission shining on their faces. Rangiku was the only one to remain in the main room with Toshiro, the other three disappearing once more down the dimly lit hallway to hopefully prepare.

Toshiro sighed, dragging himself over to one of the worn looking couches and sitting down heavily. Weariness clung to him tightly, making him feel suddenly exhausted. He hadn't noticed it before, but as the adrenaline of the day ebbed off and the events began to weigh on his mind, his energy seemed to leave him. He knew he had to be strong, like he always tried to be. Remaining like the frozen, unemotional, and cold Captain he was known to be. However, in this moment, thinking how almost everyone he knew was dead, that he had unknowingly allowed Ichigo to be killed in such a lowly, cowardly fashion, stirred his bottled up, shoved aside emotions into a brewing storm waiting to unleash its fury upon him. He hoped that he could solve everything before it did.

Rangiku sat down beside him quietly, smiling to herself. "Why are you smiling?" He asked, his voice sounding rather hollow even to himself.

"I'm just happy to be able to see you again, Captain." She chirped in her normal fashion.

"I'm not the same person you knew. He and I, we may be very much alike, seem the same even, but with everything you've told me that has occurred since Aizen's rule, I am quite certain I would not be the same as I am now." He didn't look at her as he spoke, opting instead to inspect his blade's sheath. He remembered clearly the blind rage, the intense desire to murder Aizen after he was tricked into stabbing Momo. If he had had to watch all of his comrades fall… He didn't want to consider it.

"I know you're not." She said quietly, her happiness seeming to die down a bit. "But you're like you used to be, before all this happened." She smiled again, turning her grey eyes upon him. "Even if you are a little bit different, you're still my Captain and friend." She said.

Toshiro had no reply for that. He couldn't argue with someone he knew had been broken down and then given back someone dear that should have been gone forever. If he could do nothing else for her, he could at least give her that small kindness. "And you are mine as well." He offered a small smile to which she promptly tackled him down in a hug and small giggle. Just this once, he'd allow her to get away with it, if only to bring back a sparkle to her eyes.

'_I'll save you from this horrid future, from the pain you've had to endure. You don't deserve those scars, both physical and emotional; you deserve to smile and laugh, having a good time like you always used to. I'm sorry, Rangiku, that I allowed this to happen, but I will make it right.' _He thought, tightening his hold on her as she moved so that her head rested lightly against his shoulder.

"Hey, Captain?" she asked groggily, sleep hanging heavily from her voice.

"Yes?" Teal eyes flicked down at her, only able to see the top of her strawberry blonde head.

"Thank you."

"For what."

"For coming back." Her voice was whispered, the last words before she drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

He remained silent, unsure how to respond even if she was awake and expecting one. Of course he came back. He had to. _'I will do whatever it takes to make this right.' _He silently vowed, glancing down at the sleeping face of his lieutenant with a small, contented smile.

**Hope you enjoyed this latest chapter and I'm sorry for the delay. Please take the time to leave a review, it's really helpful and appreciated. **


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